Published on Aug. 13, 2024
When Brock Murphy received the call that he would be joining the incoming University of Missouri Stamps Scholar cohort, he knew who he wanted to tell first – his grandmother.
“I was volunteering at the time; I am part of a program that works with senior citizens in East St. Louis,” said Murphy, who is from Columbia, Illinois. “When I got the call, I immediately started crying. I called my grandmother, then my parents and then my sister. I had to call my grandma first – I knew she would want to know right away. Shout out to Patricia Murphy, she’s lovely.”
The Stamps interview weekend allowed Murphy to see the Mizzou campus like he never had before. While he had visited Columbia, Missouri, a couple of times, the weekend showed him what opportunities he would have as a Tiger.
“It was awesome,” Murphy said. “I grew up not too far from MU and had a couple older cousins who attended, so I was definitely familiar with the programs that Mizzou offered. But the weekend really set it apart as an amazing place. The amount of hospitality that everyone showed me and my family was incredible. It’s an honor to be a Tiger and be part of the Stamps Scholarship program.”
Murphy plans to pursue a political science degree at MU and has a long-term goal of eventually attending law school.
“I’ve already had discussions with the Kinder Institute on Constitutional Democracy, which has been really exciting,” Murphy said. “We’re talking about research, study abroad opportunities, things of that nature. It’s really unrivaled, what I’ll be able to do at MU.”
As a Stamps Scholar, Murphy will have an opportunity to conduct research the moment he gets to campus.
“I have an interest in policy research – I think it’s going to be a big part of my academic career,” Murphy.
Housing policy is where Murphy said he has the most interest. He’s said he’s excited to explore other policy-related questions as well.
“Growing up, I loved reading,” Murphy said. “My parents never said no to buying a book, so I read and read and read. I eventually started diving into political philosophy, which was really formative for me.”
While Murphy is plenty excited for the experiences he’ll have in the classroom, he’s equally thrilled to see what options are out there as far as clubs and organizations at MU.
“I’m looking at quite a bit,” Murphy said. “For example, I’m really interested in the Civic Leaders Internship Program (CLIP), which helps students obtain hands-on opportunities in government. Student government in general is something I have an interest in. I also really like Dungeons and Dragons. I’ve always loved literature and fantasy, so I’m hoping to find a group where I can enjoy that atmosphere.”